Oscar nods announced Avatar, Hurt Locker lead nominations with 9 each By David Germain Published Wednesday February 3rd, 2010 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - "Avatar" is a dreamy space fantasy that has made more money than any movie in history. "The Hurt Locker" is a ground-level dose of war-on-terror reality and one of the lowest-grossing best-picture contenders ever. With a leading nine Oscar nominations each and ex-spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow as directors, the films are a study in extremes. They're also the only two movies that really matter in the expanded race for Hollywood's top prize March 7. "Avatar," about the human invasion of a faraway moon populated by blue-hued creatures, won best drama and director at the Golden Globes. "The Hurt Locker," a disturbingly close and claustrophobic look at the strains of disabling bombs in Iraq, earned the top prizes from guilds representing directors and producers, and was chosen as the year's best film by many key critics groups. "It's [...]

Our Right to Read campaign is officially underway! Now it’s time to spread the word about this important campaign to as many people as possible. Below is a letter you can forward to your friends, family, colleagues – anyone you know! – to help ensure that Canadians who are blind and partially sighted continue to have access to books and information in formats they can read. Feel free to send as is or tailor it for your audience. You can also use this messaging to post information on your Facebook or Twitter pages! If you have time to do more, great. Some ways you can also help: - call your local MLA, MHA, MP - write them a letter or email - write a letter to your local paper - ask your local paper to write a story on CNIB - call your local talk radio program and ask them to do a story on the Campaign - send this along to your friends, family [...]

Posted by WebMonkey on January 27th, 2010 A man serving life in prison for first-degree intentional homicide lost his legal battle Monday to play Dungeons & Dragons behind bars. Kevin T. Singer filed a federal lawsuit against officials at Wisconsin’s Waupun prison, arguing that a policy banning all Dungeons & Dragons material violated his free speech and due process rights. Prison officials instigated the Dungeons & Dragons ban among concerns that playing the game promoted gang-related activity and was a threat to security. Singer challenged the ban but the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld it as a reasonable policy. Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures, often working together as a group, with the help of complicated rules. Singer, 33, has been a devoted player of the fantasy role-playing game since he was a child, according to the court ruling. After the ban went into effect, prison officials confiscated dozens of Dungeons & Dragons books and [...]

Published Saturday January 9th, 2010 Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers Platforms: Wii Genre: Role-playing Publisher: Square Enix ESRB Rating: T, for Teen 2.5 stars Yes, most of us are on pins and needles awaiting the more-anticipated "Final Fantasy XIII" release in March on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For Wii players, the wait is easier thanks to the release of "The Crystal Bearers," another in the Crystal Chronicles story line. It should keep their appetites whetted while the others wait not so patiently. "Bearers" won't blow fans away or keep them playing at all hours of the night, but it's a solid installment that most will likely enjoy. Although it's under the banner of the Crystal Chronicles name, this game doesn't have strong ties to previous titles. For one thing, the game takes place 1,000 years after the original and the dots are not entirely connected from one to the next. This allows new gamers to dive in without feeling behind the curve, and [...]

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49BC: 'Alea iacta est!' (The die is thrown!) With these words, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon into Italy at the head of an army. A Roman aristocrat, Gaius Julius Caesar was a very successful general, in Spain in the late 60s BC, and in Gaul in the 50s. Caesar was a fast, decisive, determined and adaptable general, enabling him to subdue the famously bellicose Gauls. Like most Romans, he used this experience to propel himself up the political ladder, but much more distinctively, Caesar also used the power and prestige gained through military success to become the sole dictator of the Roman Republic. Caesar's victories in Gaul had amassed him great power, and a large, effective, and loyal army. By the last years of the 50s, the powerful men back in Rome, the Optimates, fearing Caesar's power and abilities, started to act against him, trying to limit his scope for action, hoping that by stopping him achieving his next aim, a consulship in 48, they [...]

Explore a spellbinding sounsdscape of haunting melodies and winter magic. As the first snow mingles with stardust and moonlight, an enchanted kingdom comes to life once again, deep in the Ebonshire forest. The White Queen of Winter returns to cast her ancient spell of slumber, and as the woodlands drift to sleep, she watches over a tranquil realm of wondrous dreams and memories frozen in time. Go to our sponsor's site at http://www.noxarcana.com/winterseve.html

Times & Transcript Published Monday January 11th, 2010 Going to the movies is one of the more popular weekend activities for residents of Metro Moncton. There has been a renewed excitement detected lately since the release of 'Avatar,' 'Sherlock Homes,' and even 'The Chipmunks Squeakquel' has moviegoers of all ages lining up for a few hours of welcomed delight and escapism. This is indeed the time of year when the major studios release films that they hope will benefit from colder nights and shorter days of winter. Moviegoers agree that there is a wonderful selection these days from musicals like 'Nine' to hard-to-remember titles such as 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.' Avatar, in particular, seems to be the focus of most of the hoopla these days. The sheer volume of positive comments indicate this one to be a 'sure thing.' John recently indicated his satisfaction of Avatar by quickly updating his Facebook page with "I was blown away by Avatar. The story was Dances With [...]

Published Friday January 8th, 2010 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK - The home of superheroes including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men sued one of its most successful artists Friday to retain the rights to the lucrative characters. The federal lawsuit filed Friday in Manhattan by Marvel Worldwide Inc. asks a judge to invalidate 45 notices sent by the heirs of artist Jack Kirby to try to terminate Marvel's copyrights, effective on dates ranging from 2014 through 2019. The heirs notified several companies last year that the rights to the characters would revert from Marvel to Kirby's estate. The lawsuit said Kirby's work on the comics published between 1958 and 1963 were "for hire" and render the heirs' claims invalid. Comic book characters such as Spider-Man and the X-Men have become some of Hollywood's most bankable properties in recent years. Marc Toberoff, an attorney who represents the Kirby heirs, said he hadn't seen the lawsuit and had no immediate comment. The lawsuit said the [...]